Losing weight for health or vanity?

jwdieter

A lot of people fail at changing their eating/exercise habits, whether they're trying for health or vanity. There isn't one right answer.

Well that why we here to improve our eating and exercise habits. So is there another option besides health or vanity?

Any motivation that works, works. Could be just proving someone wrong. Could be a desire for purpose. Who knows. Just saying there isn't one right answer.

ktrn0312

I must admit in the beginning it was all about health. I lost my set goal weight. Now it's all about vanity to look good naked & not just with clothes on. Love the attention I am getting from my husband.

holliebevineau

In the beginning it was vanity. Now that I learned the joy of running, Its all about being healthy. Running has changed the game!!!!

sleepyotter

lol, I'm vain. I've never been overweight, so I don't really know the struggles some people have with it, and I'm too young to truly comprehend how big of an issue my health will be in years to come.

But now that I'm in it, I've learned how out of shape I am. I can't run any distance worth anything.

cupcakes_and_cardio

First of all, as I would any person, I'd like to commend you on the massive weight loss - that is fantastic - anyone like you inspires me to keep going. Second of all, I think everyone is selfish in some ways, and does want to lose weight to look good - hello - who doesn't want to look good (if not for finding the "one" or for their significant other and most importantly themselves)? I am doing it for both reasons, for health and just to FINALLY feel good about myself and to know when I look in the mirror, I'm seeing what I love.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I was never "overweight" but I'm a vain motherf*cker :laugh:

cupcakes_and_cardio

JDRZAL. Yes. I hear you. I'm proud of your accomplishments -- that you've been able to "relax" some and let success come your way. I wish I could say I have gotten to where you are, but ..no..... not yet. I'm still feeling fat and dumpy, beating myself up at the gym and not seeing any changes...scale or otherwise. I can't afford Weight Watchers or other paid programs. Just joined MyFitnessPal this week. I"m logging my food and exercise. We'll see how it goes.

Is the same lady typing this the same lady that's in the photo? If so, stop kidding yourself, you're beautiful

onedayatatime12

Both! My measurements are really similar to that of Laura Garrett (google her if you want :P) and I want to look like her once that flab on my tummy is gone, and my legs get more toned! I agree that it's just a part of the process.

hayzeus1216

I've gone through the vanity stage, been cocky, obnoxious and self-centered. Since being humbled by weight gain and an overall loss of health, I had not had a reason to get back to being healthy other than a desire to feel healthier, but I lacked the motivation. After my wife brought our two baby sons into the world, though, I had a reason. I didn't want to be too tired to play, too out of shape to coach and I wanted to be the superman for them my dad was for me. So now I'm back, and the reasons could not be better, and vanity isn't one of them.

nikilis

I started because I was on the way to 30, and carrying extra pounds. if you don't turn it around at this point, you are in big trouble. Also its that horrible thing of running into people from like 10 years ago, and you look like ****.

before I started I had no idea how to eat healthy, how to cook really, what kind of foods to eat. I was a retard basically. once I got the hang of what foods to eat, I started feeling great, I had more energy and just in general felt so much better, digestively used to take like quite a lot of ant acids in the past for acid stomach / reflux, I actually forgot that but I found them the other day and was like, woah. gross.

so in the beginning it was because I couldn't go around thinking I'm gonna have a shot with the ladies looking chunky like that. yo yeh, actually I did it for the ladies. but now its also largely about health. I'm very careful what I put in my body now. don't drink hardly at all, don't smoke, don't do drugs, even try to avoid pain medications etc.

the reason I cant go back to my old ways is mainly because it makes me feel like *kitten* and once you are healthy like this it really is like... eww... nooo way.

SF2514

50/50

TheBaileyHunter

This is totally going to sound vain, but Even thought I'm a a robust woman, being 'sexy' or attracting attention has never been an issue for me (mostly due to my attitude I'm positive, because I'm an average looking gal).

I'm very seriously doing this because I NEED to be healthy. I fully intend to live until obscenely old, and so I need to be able to actually enjoy it too. Losing weight for me means less compression on my spine and knees and hopefully helping to slow down the effects of arthritis and disc deterioration.

Willowana

Health. Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and I have a lot of muscular issues. I'm still 'me' at any weight, and I like me just fine. I just want to feel better.

celtic0ne

Both. I've wanted to get healthier and knew that I should but vanity for my upcoming wedding gave me the added kick in the pants that I needed. Also, for me having a tangible date was necessary.

rainysue34

Both!

Actually my two biggest motivators right now are:

1.) Fitting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I will save a lot of money and time if I don't have to shop for a new closet. So this is partly VANITY and partly ECONOMICS.
2.) I want to run a half marathon in under two hours this fall (current PR is 2:05). Getting back into shape and losing weight so I have a lighter load to carry are part of my strategies. So this is my HEALTH goal.

shastacrystal

Both!

runningagainstmyself

Started out for health, but now I want to build muscle for vanity.

^ This.

fluteypie

I mean...for me, of course part of me wants to look fit, but I have learned over the years that if I don't love myself the way that I am now, then I'm never going to love myself. I think that, if your motivation to get fit is so that you will "love yourself and look good", you won't get very far; and if you do, you won't be happy!

We need to remember not to punish ourselves. Just because someone is overweight/underweight/whatever does not mean they are unhealthy, healthy, a bad person, a good person, etc. What matters is how you feel on the inside. And if you don't begin your journey towards body acceptance while you are still improving, then you will never be satisfied or happy!

I personally try to focus on the health bit. If I focus too much on what I look like, then I get pretty sad and discouraged. Like if I work out and then go look in the mirror (even if I've lost weight) I will still be disappointed that I'm not slimmer. It's something you have to work for, but you have to love yourself along the way.

justaynp

Both! I'm grateful that I have a boyfriend who loves my body now, but I know I'd be happier (and he would too probably) if my body was more fit. But also, I want to be able to keep up with my younger sister on our runs once I get home for the summer -- so vanity and pride, more than vanity and health I suppose.

CaffeinatedGlitter

At first it was only vanity, I love my hubby very much but he is very much so visually stimulated and isn't very good at hiding it (he wasn't mean, just seemed less interested in my looks than before). I got super depressed at the forty pounds I had gained since we got married. Before then I was fit and thin when I was single because I wanted to be attractive to me, and me only... then I tried losing weight for my husband (who said he didn't really care because he loves me at any weight) and found it just depressed me even more. Now I am losing the rest of my weight to better myself, for myself... I want to have a better pregnancy for my second child than my first, and I want to have a long life with my husband and children. But I also am very excited to have a six-pack and show my body off at the beach.... so long story short... Both. lol

JDBLY11

I honestly don't care about how I look. I actually like not having attention from guys. I don't really want to present myself as sexy when I am thin. I am not sure if I am exactly doing it for health reaasons. I want to feel like I used to feel even when I was a little overweight. I want to be able to move again like I used to. I want to be a normal size and not feel like the biggest girl in the room. When I start gaining weight I feel so guilty and it really brings me down mentally. I feel like I can't do things because it is so hard to do basic everyday activities. I guess I want to do it for my mental health and my relationships with my husband and son moreso than my physical health. My son needs a healthy mommy. My weight issues have really hurt my son and his development. I think when I am able to be more active with him and actually want to do things he will start doing better.

Iron_Lotus

Vanity. I am perfectly healthy.

Clovergirl143

For me, it's both. I just turned 25 and realized that I can't put off losing weight anymore. I currently weigh 371 pounds, and for years I was an emotional eater to deal with my self-loathing and the mean comments that others made. I had my head in the sand and was in total denial; I would tell myself 'Oh well since I'm tall, I can hide it better' or 'I'm not THAT big...'. But I am that big. I've tried diets before and it was all for vanity, and some amount of 'revenge' for all those people in school who were total jerk bags to me because of my weight.

Today is 7 weeks into my lifestyle change, and while the scale and the measuring tape haven't shown incredible progress, my health has. When I started I could barely walk half a mile without being totally wiped out, and with blisters on my feet to show for it. I would use something, anything, to count as my 'exercise' for the day, and even then my 'exercise' was only a day or two a week. Cutting the grass (even our small front yard) used to take upwards of 45 minutes to cut and it would be the only thing I could accomplish that day. My legs would swell up if I didn't keep them elevated for most of the day, to the point where my feet and calves hurt.

Now, 7 weeks later I walk for at least half an hour every day and have almost made it to a full mile every day. I do sit ups every day (today was 90), as well as free weights for my arms and wall push ups (can't manage the regular ones yet, but I will get there). My clothes are fitting better and I can see that I'm losing fat in my tummy (my biggest problem area). The other day I came home from my walk and had only been sitting for about 5 minutes, then mowed the front yard (which only took 23 minutes as opposed to 45) and I STILL wasn't wiped out, I had energy left to spare.

I know I have a long way to go still, and that it will take time to get there. But the time is going to pass anyway, so I might as well use it to get healthier! Exercise makes me happy now, instead of something I dread doing, and I know that this time it's going to last a lifetime.

Honestly, I'm doing this for my health, because I've seen where my family's medical history goes and I don't want to head down that road. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to look sexy too

Tat2dDom0105

Mostly for my health since i'm not getting any younger, and I want to be around to see my kids grow up. Vanity comes second....

jdrzal

You guys are awesome!! Love all the positive responses.

"you feel good, when you look good"

jenilla1

I'm basically here to maintain my awesomeness. I'm getting older, so health and fitness are the priority, but it's really nice to look good, too. I'd say the main motivator is my mental health. Physical activity is the best form of stress relief I've got. I've got a digestive disorder, too, so eating properly keeps me from being sick and fatigued, which in turn helps my stress levels. :flowerforyou:

laele75

I started out doing it purely for health. Now I am really liking how it is making me look.

jdrzal

JDRZAL. Yes. I hear you. I'm proud of your accomplishments -- that you've been able to "relax" some and let success come your way. I wish I could say I have gotten to where you are, but ..no..... not yet. I'm still feeling fat and dumpy, beating myself up at the gym and not seeing any changes...scale or otherwise. I can't afford Weight Watchers or other paid programs. Just joined MyFitnessPal this week. I"m logging my food and exercise. We'll see how it goes.

filionj1 Dont give up. Seriously! I still have bad days where I feel fat & not good enough. But I learned beating yourself doesnt help. Be proud that youre making a good change for yourself. I can assure you, you will do great. Be patient with yourself & your body. There are tons of cookbooks & help out there that dont cost much.
Remember to Enjoy your journey.

Mlkmaid

I wanted to run faster and longer. And I wanted to be in single-digit clothes again.

maecrocker

I have had health issues since I was 16. I am now 48. Was in the hospital for weeks on end almost every other year. I started about a year and half ago. Haven't had a single symptom since my first month in. So it totally started for health reasons. But now its all about vanity. Yup - total vanity.